Aston Martin Valkyrie to be progenitor of a range of mid-engined Aston Martins

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The Aston Martin Valkyrie Hypercar – Aston’s joint venture with Red Bull – will be the forerunner of a new range of mid-engined Aston Martins.

Aston Martin has used the Geneva Motor Show to reveal that its new hypercar – which has been the Aston Martin AM-RB 001 until now – will go on sale as the Aston Martin Valkyrie. So this new Aston Martin will decide which competition it slays and sends to Valhalla, we assume.

But the arrival of another ‘V’ name for the new Aston hypercar – a car which is apparently is already sold out – is not the only interesting news from Geneva.

Rather less public than the naming of the RB 001 is the news that this won’t be a one-off mid-engined car from Aston Martin, but, probably, just the start of a re-defining of what an Aston Martin is. Or should be.

An Aston Martin should be a Gentleman’s car, powered by a big V8 or V12, heavy, handsome and with a cabin like a Mayfair Gentleman’s club.

That has sort of gone by the wayside in recent iterations, but the basics of a substantial car with big cylinder count at the front and back wheels doing the propelling has continued. But it looks set to change.

According to Car and Driver, who bent the ear of Andy Palmer at Geneva, the Valkyrie is to be the start of a, more affordable, move in to mid-engined supercars, with plans to take on Ferrari, McLaren and Lamborghini.

Palmer says the cars will continue and create a mid-engined dynasty started by the Valkyrie, and that they will have to be function following form to ensure they look as beautiful as an Aston Martin should.

Of course, this isn’t the first time Andy Palmer has made such declarations, and we can’t work out whether he’s teasing a certain direction, or working hard to excite interest to persuade those who must be persuaded that this is the route to go.

It’s early days yet, although the project is in Aston’s design studio, but if all goes to plan we will see the fruits of Aston’s mid-engined labours – with continuing input from red Bull – after the DBX arrives in 2020.